Container for liquids, and more particularly to a container which incorporates therein the function of a syringe



2,768,623 AND MORE PARTICULARLY TO A CONTAINER s THEREIN THE FUNCTION OFA SYRINGE Filed Dec.

J. F. MARCHAND Oct. 30, 1956 CONTAINER FOR LIQUIDS WHICH INCORPORAINVENTOR. JohnflMrz rchand United States Patent CONTAINER FGR LIQUIDS,AND MORE PARTICU- LARLY TO A CONTAINER -WHICH INCORPO- NAGTES THEREIN.THE FUNCTION OF A SYR- John F. Marchand, NewYork, N. Y.

Application December 29, 1954, Serial No. 478,238

1 Claim. (Cl. 128-218) This invention relates to containers for liquidsand more particularly .to a container which incorporates therein thefunction of a syringe.

It is an object of the present invention to reduce the overall cost andinconvenience of the conventional single or multiple dose containers ofchemicals and pharmaceutical preparations and the additional multiplepiece equipment normally employed therewith for the distribution andadministration of such chemical and pharmacuetical preparations asparenteral injections or chemical reagent addition steps by providing adisposable, single dose container of unitary low cost construction whicheliminates the need for employing a sterile ground glass calibratedsyringe or pipette for the parenteral injection of volumetricmeasurement in transfer of the contents of the conventional container.

lam aware that containers of unitary sealed construc tion are not new,for example the conventional glass ampule 'or gelatin capsule are Wellknown. However, the known containers of this type are not adapted formeasured or unit dose injection parenterally through the skin underaseptic conditions without the employment of additional equipment in theform of a syringe or pipette.

I am :also aware that disposable container assemblies for the injectionparenterally of the liquid material through a single or double hollowpoint needle have been employed. However, such container assemblies arecomplex, of multiple piece or multiple material construction andmoreover fail to provide a hermetical seal for the contents for completeprotection against contamination and loss up .to the actual time ofevacuation.

It is accordingly another object of the present invention to provide anovel container of simple, low cost and unitary construction whichincorporates the function of the syringe for a parenteral injection ofthe contents.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a container ofthe above type wherein finger or thumb pressure at one end of thecontainer serves to eject the contents through the standard steriletwo-way double point'hollow needle inserted through the opposite end.

'It is still another object of the present invention to providea-container of the above type wherein the standard two-way double pointhollow needle is automatically inserted and held in proper alignment dueto the shape of theacontainer.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide adisposable container incorporating therein the function of a syringe,which container may be supplied during manufacture with a sterile unitdose for a routine parenteral injection through the skin or a measurefor the convenient addition of a reagent toa chemical process.

It .is still another object of the present invention to provide acontainer incorporating therein the function of a syringe which can bemanufactured bacteriologically sterile without contents for ultimate useas a disposable substitute for the ordinary calibrated ground glass2,768,623 Patented Oct. 30, 1956 syringe. For such an application, thesame standard two-way double point hollow steel needle is insertedthrough the diaphragm of the container whereupon the liquid to bedispensed or measured or injected can then be drawn up into the interiorof the needle by a single pumping action at the other end of mycontainer.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide acontainer of unitary seal construction wherein the contents can beconveniently emptied by thumb .or finger pressure when tapped at theappropriate point by a hollow double point needle, the container beingdesigned to hold the hub or shaft of the needle in firm alignmenttherewith. Such alignment of the needle permits the use of the containerin a novel manner, i. e. as :a handle by means of which the needle caneasily be .held for controlled direction of its free point under theskin or elsewhere preparatory to evacuation of the contents of thecontainer.

It is still another object of the present invention .to provide acontainer of the above type fabricated of unitary material, whichmaterial is selected for compatibility with the contents and sealed bydirect fusion throughout for complete protection against chemical aswell .as bacteriological contamination or loss.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide acontainer of the above type which is fabricated from non-toxic,non-sensitizing, chemically inert and insoluble material which isself-shape retaining, yet deformable, and which when of sufficientlythin gauge .is translucent and flexible to permit the necessary pumpingaction. Such a material is sufiiciently self-shape retain ing towithstand rough handling while at the same time is soft enough to bepierced at the vent diaphragm portion by the steel needle. Polyethyleneor other substance having like physical properties is ideally suited forthe fabrication of this container for use with a variety of acid,alkaline, .salty or watery solutions or alcoholic solutions. Othermaterials which may be employed include the vinylites, nylon and rubber.However, the contents of the container will determine the nature of thematerial best suited for fabrication purposes.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide adisposable container incorporating therein the function of a syringewhich eliminates the necessity of resterilization of reuseable equipmentand thereby the possibility of cross infection from person to person bylatent virus or other foreign bodies.

For other objects and a better understanding of the invention, referencemay be had to the following detailed description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention shown just prior to the insertion therein of a standard hollowdouble point needle;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the invention shown alone;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified form of thepresent invention wherein the needle is provided along With thecontainer and is maintained in a sterile condition by a thin cover;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device showing thestandard needle in position therewithin and showing the compression ofthe integral blister for the ejection of the contents of the containerthrough the needle;

Fig. 5 is a side view shown partly in elevation and partly in section ofa still further modified form of the present invention and Fig. 6 is atransverse sectional view thereof taken along the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, and

more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 4, there is shown a containerindicated generally at and including a cylindrical body potrion 11 ofheavy gauge of poyethylene or other substance having like physicalproperties, substantially as illustrated.

The body portion 11 at one end is flared outwardly at integrally formedflange portion 12, the face of the flange portion 12 remote from bodyportion 11 being in turn integrally formed with a spherical hollowblister 13.

The body portion 11 is provided with a central longitudinal cylindricalbore 14 which communicates at its inner end with the interior of theblister 13, the bore 14 being interrupted at its midpoint by anintegrally formed diaphragm 15. During manufacture, the blister 13 isfilled with the liquid 16 of medicinal, pharmaceutical or chemicalnature, the liquid 16 being sealed therein due to the diaphragm 15.Preferably the volumetric capacity of the blister will be such as toconform with the required standard dosages or measurements.

In operation, the container 10 will be held in one hand by means of theflange formation 12 (Fig. 1) while the standard double point hollowneedle 17 is inserted inwardly through the bore 14, the needle beingheld by the standard hub or body portion 18 which latter is adapted tobe snugly received within the outer portion of the bore 14 (Fig. 4).During this operation, the inner point of needle 17 will puncture thediaphragm 15 and permit the liquid 16 to flow outwardly through theneedle. During the measuring or injecting operation, the blister 13 willbe compressed by the thumb or other finger, as shown in Fig. 4, toforcibly eject the contents outwardly through the needle. It will benoted that the bore 14 of the relatively rigid body portion 11 serves toalign the needle 17 with the diaphragm 15 and that the inward movementof the hub portion 18 of the needle is limited by the abutment of theinner end thereof with the diaphragm 15 (Fig. 4).

During the ejection of the contents of the container, as shown in Fig.4, the device may be employed directly through the skin into one of thetissues of the body or to dispense a volumetric quantity of chemicalmaterial into a vessel during a chemical process. After ejection, thecontainer may be discarded to eliminate the usual problem of theresterilization of reuseable equipment.

It will be noted that the body portion 11 provides sufficient space fora comfortable grasping by the fingers and the outside surface of thebody portion will be provided with suitable labels or the likeidentifying the contents and the amounts within. If desired, the bodyportion 11 may be grooved longitudinally to provide the maximum strengthand optimum dimensions with a minimum of weight.

It should now be apparent that there has been provided a container whichincorporates therewithin the function of a syringe, Which container isformed at low cost in a unitary structure by a simple molding operation.It should also be apparent that there has been provided a container ofthe above type which is discardable after a single use or injection toeliminate the uncertainty and inadequacy of conventional resterilizationof reuseable equipment. Such uncertainty and inadequacy has heretoforebeen associated with cross infections from person to person by latentvirus such as that of serum hepatitis as well as epidemics, all of whichcould have been avoided if the single use sterile and disposable syringecontainers embodying the features of the present invention had beenemployed.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 3, there is shown a modified form ofthe present invention indicated generally at 10a and ditfering from theprevious form in the assembly of the needle 17 and hub 18 duringmanufacture with the body portion 11. In this case the contents arehermetically sealed therewithin by the provision of a plastic cover 19closed at one end and which surrounds the needle 17, the other end ofthe cover 19 being screwed or heat sealed or otherwise secured to thebody portion 11. The cover 19 will preferably be formed of the samematerial as the container. In this form, it is only necessary to severthe cover 19 (which is of relatively thin gauge) and to inject thecontents into the desired area, after the syringe has been pushedthrough diaphragm 15 as shown in Fig. 4.

In other respects the form of the invention shown in Fig. 3 is the sameas that shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, and like reference numerals identifylike parts throughout the several views.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 5 and 6, there is shown a stillfurther modified form of the present invention indicated generally at 20and including a hollow cylindrical blister or body portion 21 ofrelatively thick gauge polyethylene or other substance having likephysical properties. The body portion 21 at one end is integrally formedwith the hollow conical portion 22 which is in turn integrally formedwith the cylindrical extension 23. The extension 23 is of relativelythick gauge and is provided with a central longitudinally extending bore24 which is separated from the interior of the body portion 21 by meansof an integrally formed diaphragm 25. The bore 24 is adapted to receivesnugly therewithin the hub 18 of the standard double point hollow needle17, the inner end of which again pierces the diaphragm 25 when the hub18 is in proper position within the bore 24, as shown in Fig. 5.

The other end of the body portion 21 is integrally formed with theflange formation 26 as well as the end wall 27. The end wall 27 isprovided with a central circular opening through which is slidable thecylindrical shank 28 of a piston 29 adapted for sliding movement withinthe body portion 21, the forward end of the piston 29 being adapted toreach the inner wall of the body 21 when the piston 29 is pushedforwardly toward the inner point of needle 17 after it has pierceddiaphragm 25 preparatory to use. The piston 29 and shank 28 arepreferably formed of the same material as the body portion 21. A splitremovable sleeve 30 is provided around piston shank 28. The outer end ofthe shank 28 and sleeve 30 are integrally covered with a membrane 32which surrounds the shank and which is in turn integrally formed withthe end wall 27 whereby to prevent the contamination or loss of thecontents during movement of the piston. Upon use of this invention, themembrane 32 is removed, then the sleeve 30 is taken off the shank, andneedle 17 is pushed into bore 14 so that the inner needle pierces thediaphragm, whereupon pressure is applied on the exposed end 33 of shank28.

During manufacture, the interior of the body portion 21 will be filledwith the pharmaceutical, medicinal or chemical liquid 16, the liquidbeing sealed therewithin by means of the diaphragm 25. The membrane 31will seal the contents further within the container. Just prior to use,the standard needle 17 will be injected through the membrane 25 untilthe hub 18 is properly positioned within the bore 24. The contents willthen be ejected through the hollow needle by simply pressing the end ofthe shank 28 inwardly to move the piston 29 from the position of Fig. 5into abutment with the conical portion 22. For this purpose the flangeformation 26 may be employed, abutting the fingers while the thumb ispressed against the shank 28. Here again, as in the previous forms, thebody portion 21 may serve as a convenient handle by means of which theneedle 17 may be held for controlled direction of its free point underthe skin or elsewhere preparatory to evacuation of the contents of thecontainer. Furthermore the bore 24 serves to align the needle 17 withthe diaphragm 25.

It should now be apparent that there have been provided disposablecontainers of continuous unitary construction which are useable assyringes when tapped at the proper point by the standard hollow steelneedle. It should also be apparent that there have been provideddisposable containers of the above type which are formed frompolyethylene or other substance having like physical properties andwhich are chemically inert, non-toxic and permeable and of unitarystructure.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shallbe understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as defined by the appended claim.

1 claim:

A unitary compact injectable fluid container comprising a blister, areinforced portion extending from one end of said blister, an elongatedportion protruding from the blister, said elongated portion having asealed bore therein, and a two way hypodermic needle in the elongatedportion having an enlarged portion adapted for insertion andaccommodation into the bore, said needle being adapted to penetrate theblister through the sealed bore and permit expulsive ejection of thecontents of the blister, said blister being substantially of cylindricalshape and provided with a piston, and a displaceable sleeve memberbetween the piston and the blister, and a re movable sealing memberenclosing the piston and displaceable sleeve member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

